Christmas Git
by Chiyo Ishida
Summary: A Christmas EdWin, first of a two parter, slight angst, much love, and no 'git' isn't a typo
1. Christmas Git

_Its a Christmas Ed/Win, yes run away in fear. Slightly on the angsty side in places here, and a part two to come toward New Years Eve._

She fell back against the wall and heaved a deep sigh of relief. She had been sat on that work stool, up to her elbows in small metal shavings, for hours now but she had finally she finished her task. She admired her handiwork by turning it this way and that in her blistered fingers. Winry had been working on that small token for months and months and the rejected pieces lay at her feet by the dozen. She had always worked with relatively large pieces of metal so to carve such detailing into something only an inch high had taken all her skill and time. The scales on the snake had been particularly complicated has had the symmetry of the cross. But after so many mistakes it was inevitable she would finally achieve perfection. Just in time too for it was Christmas Eve in only a few days time.

As the sweat of concentration began to fade from her face she shivered against the sudden cold of the bitter night outside her window. She slipped out of her overalls and into a thick lilac jumper and some black velvet trousers. Her stomach grumbled and she realised she hadn't eaten since that morning. She stifled a yawn as she placed Ed's gift safely in its box and trotted toward the stairs with it in hand.

The living room was empty of life unless you counted the brightly lit tree. The room was usually lit with candles at this time of year but granny had obviously been concentrating on something herself and so had needed the harsh light. She heard the distant bark of her loyal pet Den from the garden. That silly mutt had been out rolling in the snow every opportunity he got making himself very cold and very wet. She would have to go fetch him in before he did himself any more damage.

When she wrenched open the front door she realised that Den was not the only figure standing in the icy blue snow. Her grandmother stood there on the doorstep watching the two characters chase Den around in the snow. Their footprints were deep and the younger of the pair kept falling face first into the frozen field. His brother, though not greatly taller, did not have such problems for he did not move from his spot, now caught in the light shining from the doorway. Right in such a spotlight was too great an opportunity for Winry to miss so she picked up a handful of snow from by her feet, moulded into a ball and aimed right at the back of his head.

'Winry,' he growled whipping round to look at her. At first she laughed loudly at him as he rubbed the back of a very cold head, but it soon began to fade. She could see the remains of a very deep graze on his chin; another war wound since the last time she had seen him. He didn't bend down to pick up any of the white weapon himself but pushed passed her without another word and stormed upstairs. Usually she could have yelled violently at him, but when there would be no return attack, her heart was not in it. Her eyes pleaded with Al for an answer but Al just shrugged his shoulders before removing his coat and embracing her. Why was it that she had to turn to the thirteen year old for answers? Why was it that she hadn't got a smile out of Edward for several months now? Even more, why did she still let his ever-predictable mood swings affect her so deeply?

* * *

Winry placed a giant mug of hot chocolate in Al's hands and sat to listen to his tales of his adventures. After losing nearly all his memories three years ago they had all done all they could to create new ones for him. Alphonse Elric was such a soft but remarkably resistant character he hadn't allowed the sorrows of his life affect his soul. His brother on the other hand had grown colder as the years had slowly gone by. Even now he had got his brothers body back, a darkness ate away at him, slowly destroying everything Winry loved about him. That incident had summed up exactly the man he had become. Humourless, cold and with a standoffishness that even made Den stay away on his worst days. She had made his Christmas gift with such care and attention she hoped it would somehow communicate to him she was still there, still waiting.

'So what has put your brother in such a pitiful mood?' Pinako bluntly asked, never being one to sugarcoat her words.

'I don't know,' Al sighed, 'he seemed fine yesterday. When we got on the train to come home he seemed to close down and he didn't really want to talk anymore.'

'Like he doesn't really want to be here?' Winry asked harshly under her breath.

'I didn't mean it like that Winry. You know what brothers like about coming away from work. Its what he's leaving behind, not what he's coming to.'

She smiled in reassurance at him but she didn't believe a word of it. She cast her eyes up the stairs and wondered if Ed would be gracing them with his presence that night or if she would once again have to seek it out. She looked into the steaming mug in her hand and thought of the perfect reason to track him down.

* * *

She lightly knocked on his door and waited for an answer. When it didn't come she knocked again before letting herself into the room. There were no lights in the room but the clear night led to a bright moon, which shone across the wooden floor and highlighted his form lying full length across the floor. She could see the golden glow of his eyes quickly flash her way before looking back.

'The bed might be more comfortable,' she laughed as she walked over to his side.

'I can't see the moon at that angle,' he said in a matter-of-fact tone, clearly ignoring her playful manner.

She swallowed her pride and tried again, 'I brought you a hot chocolate. Even put a shot of brandy in there,' she informed him, placing it by his side. She dared to look at his face in the soft light. He looked half asleep and so sorrowful at the same time. When his eyes finally agreed to meet hers he thanked her with a light bow of his head.

'Don't let it get cold this time, you aren't wearing enough to turn down a warm drink.'

'You are turning more like your grandmother every day,' he sighed under his breath and she knew it was not said in jest.

'One of us has to Edward,' she snapped as he hit a raw nerve.

'Meaning what exactly?' he asked in a slightly deeper tone, sitting upright.

'All this moping around like a petulant teenager! You'll be twenty soon Edward but you still act like a seven year old not getting his own way.'

He stood sharply to his feet and glared deeply into her eyes, 'You try living my life and then you'd know.'

'Oh don't give me that! You do exactly what you wish and never have to ask for anything. Wherever you go people worship the ground you walk on and your brother hates to say anything against you.'

'You think it's wonderful to be glorified and worshipped the way I am?'

'Is it?'

He looked away from her and shook his head, 'Rose would never have to ask that,' he muttered under his breath before storming from the room. She let out a gasp of breath that came out as a small squeal before kicking his drink across the room and scalding the top of her foot.

* * *

'You foolish girl,' her grandmother snapped, 'if you didn't have such a quick temper you and Edward would get along a lot better.'

'It's hardly all my fault,' Winry whined as her foot was wrapped up, 'if he didn't take everything so personally…'

'If you didn't bring up sensitive subjects in the first place!'

Winry's bottom lip wobbled in defiance before she fell back in to her chair and threw her arms around herself. Ed had vanished into the night in only his shirt and trousers so Al had gone to look for him. After that comment about Rose Winry would have told anyone who asked she didn't want him found. Although she had nothing against Rose her jealousy went into overdrive when Ed had dared to compare the two of them. Rose had suffered, yes Winry was aware of that, but she had come through it and now no longer relied on others to support her.

The front door opened and Winry fought against the desire to look to see if they were back. When she heard heavy feet stomp up the stairs her questions were answered for her.

'I think it's time for bed,' Pinako sighed and guided Al up to his room. Winry sat alone for about on hour simply staring into the light on the tree before limping her way to a restless sleep.

And so the silence remained between them for the next couple of days. On the morning of Christmas Eve Winry refused to emerge from her room until Edward had apologised to her, or at the very least, dragged himself out his miserable slump and enjoy Christmas like the rest of them. She lay in her bed and tried to forget how optimistic she had been the morning they had prepared for Ed and Al's arrival. Presents sat on her desk waiting to be delivered to various people around the village but she didn't wish to leave her cosy comfort zone.

Alphonse bounced in around midday demanding that she come and bake him a cake. She wouldn't allow herself to ruin his Christmas so she crawled out of bed, into her trusty sweater, and prepared to make the most amazing plum pudding Al had ever eaten.

As the sun set Winry had finally finished preparing the food for Christmas day. She and grandma had come to the agreement that Winry would prepare as much as she could while Pinako cooked the meal Christmas morning. Smiling smugly at her various creations Winry heard Ed's voice from the hallway.

'It's cold out there!' he yelled.

'You were willing to walk around in it half naked the other night so you can go out there now all wrapped up,' Pinako retorted.

'I wasn't half naked!'

'You may as well have been brother.'

'Winry! Get in here.'

Winry cautiously put her head round the door to see Ed being forced into a scarf and gloves. He gave her a look of warning but it was too late. Pinako had grabbed Winry and dressed her in her warm coat and hat before she could blink.

'Now both of you be a good Mr and Mrs Santa and deliver everyone's presents.'

'Grandma…' Winry began to whine but she was violently shoved out of the door and handed a heavy bag of beautifully wrapped gifts.

'Al and I have to wrap your gifts so its easier if we get you out of the house for a couple of hours. If you're lucky it won't snow.'

With the door slammed in her face Winry had no-where left to look but at Edward. He looked as bewildered as her but at least there was the slightest hint of a smile there too. He looked at her before casting his eyes down at his feet, kicking the snow around him and breathing in as if about to speak. She could sense how uncomfortable he felt and so she broke the ice for the pair of them.

'We had better get going before they find something else to pile on us,' she giggled and skipped out in to the snow. If she kept up the act that all was well they should be able to pull through the two hours without biting at each other. She listened for the sound of his feet crunching in the snow and after quite a delay she finally heard it and carried on with her journey.

The first house they came to belonged to Mrs Anderson. She had been widowed a few years earlier and had no children to keep her company even at this time of year. Pinako usually baked her a pie of some sort so that she didn't have to cook Christmas Day. Ed knocked on the door and they waited for a long while before it was answered.

'Oh my dears,' she sighed when she saw them, 'don't tell me you've come out tonight just for me.'

'Well actually…' Ed started but he stopped when Winry sharply slapped him in the arm.

'It's no trouble Mrs Anderson. I think Grandma has made you a cherry pie this time.'

'Thank-you Winry dear, I'll warm that up right away. I don't have a man to keep me toasty this winter,' she informed them winking.

Winry laughed nervously and hoped Ed would keep his mouth shut about this misunderstanding too. Mrs Anderson plagued Winry no end about not having a husband at this point in her life. If she believed Winry was with Ed she might finally be free of repetitive, if not truly concerned, meddling. When that door shut Ed finally let out a laugh. Oh, it was music to her frost bitten ears.

'She's been trying to set us up for years,' he pointed out, 'either she's grown senile or she was heavily hinting.'

'What do you mean?'

'Do we really look like a couple working round?' he asked.

It wasn't unknown for her and Ed to be walking around together and they certainly weren't showing any physical closeness. Still his words seemed harsh and unnecessary and it put her in a less than pleased mood for the rest of their quest. The further they went the more they picked at each other over the smallest thing. He would carry the bag wrong or she would sound patronising or they made it obvious they were trying to do everything quicker to get away from engaging in conversation. The last gift was almost thrown at its recipient before they both stormed toward the Rockbell household. It seemed they were incapable of spending any time together just at the point in her life Winry wanted to give him all of her time.

The house was quiet when they returned and the only lights left were a few candles burning here and their.

'What are you so stressed about?' he demanded in a harsh whisper.

'Me? You are the one who started it,' she snapped back also as quietly as she could.

'How did I start it?'

'I can't remember but I know you did.'

'In other words you are waiting to find a reason to yell at me. Why don't you just join the military?'

He regretted saying it the moment the words spilled clumsily out of his mouth. It was the military that had torn her parents away from her in the first place. She reached around behind her and grabbed a decoration off the tree and hurled it at him. He dodged it but she just kept throwing item after item until he felt it would be easier just to let her hit him so she would calm down. This occurred to him a moment to late as the final object she threw landed with an almighty smash against the wall.

It took a moment or two to sink in just what she had done. There was only one item on the tree that could make that sound. On her first Christmas her parents had got a bauble engraved with her name and the year that they celebrated Christmas as a complete family. It was one of Winry's most treasured items and in a moment of blind rage she had reduced it to several shards to broken glass.

When the lights finally came on and Pinako came to see what the commotion was Winry was kneeling on the floor with pieces of her memories shattered in her hands. One shard has cut her finger deeply but she didn't seem to notice.

'Don't worry Winry,' Edward sighed, lost as to what to do, 'just give me all the pieces and I can alchemise it back together.'

She dropped the piece and rose to her feet, 'Not everything can be fixed with alchemy Edward,' she choked before dashing from the room and weeping pathetically into her pillow for her broken treasure and broken heart.

* * *

Although Christmas hadn't been very loud in the Rockbell household for a few years it was especially quiet that year. Winry had refused any gifts and only emerged when the food was served. She saw Ed's present from her sat alone under the tree but she couldn't face giving it to him now. She knew she had spoken out of spite last night and in her heart she no longer blamed him for the destruction of her glass ornament. She had to accept that as much as she could try to blame him for winding her up so thoroughly she had thrown it and she had broken it. It was probably this realisation that had made her feel like hiding in a dark hole and not emerging until Ed and Al had left.

Though she had criticized Ed for doing it she once again hid in her room once she had eaten her fill of turkey and mince pies. On her bed lay a roughly wrapped gift and she could see from the tag it was from Edward. She didn't know when he had snuck it into her room for all her other gifts lay in a pile downstairs waiting to be opened. It was a bulky package and she caved in to curiosity and gave it a squeeze, it felt soft and thick and she ripped apart the wrapping in one fell swoop. Inside was a red and green jumper made of the softest wool she had ever felt. She sniffed back a tear and she took off her reliable but well loved lilac sweater and covered herself in his gift. It was slightly on the larger size but she liked them that way as she snuggled her way deeper in to the material. There was a soft knock at the door and, knowing it was Al, she called for him to enter.

'Aww you opened brothers gift, can't you open mine as well?' he whined with a square package in his hand. She laughed and savoured his kind heart, taking the gift from his hand and opening the lid. Inside was a precision tool, perfect for engraving small details into metal.

'I know it's a bit late…' he apologised, 'Granny said brothers gift might have been easier to finish with this.'

'You know about it?'

'Oh yes, a little elf told me. He still hasn't opened it…but I know he'll love it Winry…he just may forget to say so.'

* * *

She sheepishly knocked on Ed's door and walked in. This time all the lights were on and the glare was a bit of a shock to her eyes. She blinked a couple of times but didn't miss Ed throwing a blanket over something on the floor before standing up and facing her.

'About Rose…' he started.

'I don't want to…'

'Winry,' he snapped, silencing her, 'listen to me. Look it may have come out wrong. Rose was worshipped in a whole different way to me; there was religion fuelling that praise. She would…she would know what it was like, she'd know a lot about how I feel…but…well…makes it all a bit boring. No need to chat means no need to fight.'

'That isn't better?'

'You think I'd get along with Mustang so well if we were the best of pals?'

The term "hell no" came to mind but she realised he didn't require an answer. She held out the package in her hand toward him and he took it carefully from her grip. Lifting the lid he paused for a while, taking a good look at his charm but not lifting it out of the box. He looked up at her suddenly and made a move as if he was going to wrap his arms around her. Her heart skipped a beat as he approached, only to be unceremoniously escorted out the door and have it shut behind her. She stood on the landing gaping for a second or two before sucking in all her anger in one deep breath and calmly walking back downstairs.


	2. New Years Believe

_Part 2 of my Ed/Win Christmas story, and thus the final part, takes places on New Years Eve. Romantic, sad, and a warning for one mild sexual reference. This probably needs editing, but I've been writing for four hours, I need to sleep._

* * *

The twitch in her eye did not cease for hours as she sat beneath his room, listening with intent to any sign of movement from the offending male. She tugged as the sleeves on her jumper so ferociously she very nearly began to undo the knitting pattern. Winry wasn't exactly sure of what she was anxious of, though she felt nervous in a way that was alien to her. She had felt an anger bubbling in her since Edward had arrived and it felt as though this strange fear had completely replaced that. She didn't wish to challenge him or his isolation anymore. Instead, she wanted to watch him, to fulfil her curiosity about his sudden actions that were out of character. When granny had taken him some food she had heard him check it wasn't Winry before opening the door. Somehow she knew, or at least she dearly wished, it wasn't his desire to keep her away, but rather a desire to keep something away from her.

This was how the next couple of days passed by, with Ed showing himself now and then by disappearing into town alone, smiling at her if she caught eyes with him. It seemed that Alphonse had been informed of his brother's intentions but sworn to secrecy along with it. Though Winry begged, moped, threatened him with torture Al stayed true to his word and did not rat on his brother.

She could have snuck in to his room while he was out had he not skilfully locked it with alchemy with each leave. The noises had grown increasingly unrecognisable even in a house that was usually so full of strange and loud sounds. Most recently she had heard the sound of bubbling like boiling water and the chink of metal on glass.

'What do you think it is Granny?' Winry had asked after an hour of silent pondering.

'I couldn't tell you Winry dear, but he'll have to emerge by the end of the day tomorrow. He's knows as well as anyone we're to spend New Years Eve at the Wilkins bar. I won't have any excuses from either of you, even if Mrs Anderson actually turns up this year.'

'But…'

'There is nothing you can say to get out of it Winry. The village likes to thank us for our work and catch the brothers whenever they can.'

Winry sighed and knew damn fine her grandmother meant every word of it. For many years the town had held a get together and had always demanded that the Rockbells and the Elrics show up. It had actually been a long tradition for Winry's parents had always been invited and Trisha came as part of them. That tradition had broken with the death of Winry's parents and Trisha but the village had finally deemed it a long enough period of time since those sad events to finally bring back the tradition. Anyone who provided the villagers with a much needed service was thanked at the New Years Eve party as the superstitious believe thanking them at the start of a new year would mean they would be there for the rest of the year.

'Remember what happened last year?' Pinako questioned her granddaughter, 'you and Edward had that huge argument in the street and made everybody around you feel so uncomfortable. You never even told me what you fought about though if I recall correctly most of the fight was spent blaming each other for starting it.'

Winry bit her bottom lip, 'I couldn't remember why we fought, or at least why we started. Of course you're right about how it ended as every time we fight it ends that way. I think I had made some comment about him storming round the party like a trapped animal trying to find an escape route…'

'Just as you were,' her grandmother interrupted.

'I didn't make it obvious,' Winry retorted, 'Al seemed happy to lap up all the attention but they way they dote on him is innocent. When they fawn Edward its like they are only doing it to get within his favour. I can't stand watching it as it makes me so…so…'

'Jealous?'

Winry gawped like a fish at the sudden accusation but she could not bring herself to deny it. In fact whenever Edward did return to them he would hide away in his room until he was forced to spend time with everyone. That translated in basic as Winry probably spent the least amount of time with him when she felt she deserved the most. Could that have been what made her so angry whenever he came home? Did she just expect to be put at the back of the line when she wanted to push to the front?

'I've been so selfish,' she muttered mostly to herself, 'like a child with a favoured toy.'

Her grandmother sighed heavily and rubbed her weary eyes. She had slept very little for the past few nights, knowing of the torment her granddaughter was putting herself through. The young were foolish when it came to love and Winry had hardly loved the easiest of people.

'It's a selfishness I believe anyone can forgive. When Al was born poor little Edward felt ignored and unloved. Whether he ever realised it or not, it was nothing to do with a desire for attention from his parents. No, Al was his little brother and so rights to play with him should have belonged to Ed alone. Even so young you realised you would always be second in Ed's eyes to Al. Being an only child how could you know any better?'

Winry chewed on this new idea in silence for a long, long time. This ownership of Ed had consumed her before and no matter how much she fought for it; she could never truly obtain it. She was sure her temper wasn't wholly to blame on her constant bickering with Edward and now here seemed to be the other option. The crystal in the window, the dress in the magazine, the most expensive wrench she had ever laid eyes on were out of her reach, and so had Ed always been. In a hot tear or two this realisation had washed over her completely. Nearly twenty of needless frustration would have to be overcome before she could forgive herself. Mixed in to this self pity however was a calm she had so often longed for. Her feelings for Edward had pulled her this way and that for so many years she had never truly been at peace. She could not let that go on any longer and she vowed to finally release him from her beaten heart. Not once that New Years Eve would she allow herself to become jealous, no matter how affectionate any of the girls became, no matter how much he longed to escape. It was time to end it all.

* * *

'Al would you go and fetch Edward?'

Alphonse nodded at Winry but something had changed in her. Any other time she would have charged up the stairs and hammered on his door, yelling she'd drag him out by the short and curly's if he didn't make an appearance that second. Since yesterday evening however she had moved from her vigil under his brother's room and carried on as if Edward wasn't there at all. This new Winry hasn't once looked as if she was close to losing her temper and had welcomed that evening's festivity rather than dread them like she had for so many years. He would have liked to believe this was just a temporary Winry and the old one would reappear once wound up enough. But to not bat an eyelid at Ed's late showing was too unlike her to expect she would ever come back.

When his brother finally opened his door, dressed and ready to go, Al stopped him in his tracks.

'What have you done to Winry?' Al snapped in a hushed voice.

'Nothing! That I know of anyway, suppose she's annoyed I'm late?'

'She's not angry at all brother, not about anything. When Granny told Winry she'd have to wait for you if you were late she just smiled and agreed.'

Al was right, something was certainly wrong if she was passing up the chance to yell at him. He looked back into his room and his creation, which was sat carefully on the bed. He debated for a second to two whether he should take it to her now. But no, now wasn't the right time, he'd have to wait till she was in a blind rage with him. Only that would be the perfect time.

She stood waiting for them both by the front door wrapped up tight against that bitter December evening. When she saw him he expected it would be enough to flare her temper but she smiled at him and opened the door for them.

'Granny went ahead to excuse our lateness. Though you know how relaxed everyone is around here. We'll probably still be the first there even now,' she smiled, holding out her hand to Al. He took it with a look at his brother that quite blatantly screamed, "I told you so". But Ed was still sure this was only some kind of cover up or prank and that she would unleash hell upon them when she decided it appropriate. There was that slight sparkle in her eye that betrayed whatever she showed on the outside to show she was the same on the inside.

As they walked along the road in the snow Winry was almost bouncing alone, urging them to go quicker so they could get there sooner. He could feel his arm subconsciously holding itself out in preparation for her to clamp herself around it. But not once did she look as if she would and neither did she seem as if she even wanted to look at him. Whatever kind of trick she was pulling she was going all out to fool them, right down to the very last detail.

When they actually reached the party she instantly mingled herself within the crowd and showed none of the signs that she usually did when being smothered. Before either of them could blink they too had been pounced upon by the crowd and vanished in to a blur of arms and voices.

Winry had probably drunk more than she should have done but it was keeping her from paying and attention to Edward at all. She had vowed to change her ways but it was proving harder than she had ever imagined. She was probably even coming across and standoffish in her determination to not look at him with the same eyes she had for so many years. It also seemed that the more she was willing to speak to people the less they actually wanted her attention. As such Winry had attached herself to Nelly and the punch bowl to keep herself occupied.

'Who does his hair for him?' Nelly asked.

'He does it himself as far as I know.'

'Never run your fingers through those golden locks yourself?'

'Just the once.'

'Oh yea, and which part of his body was this hair on hey?'

'His scalp.'

'Winry,' Nelly snapped so loud nearly everyone turned round.

'What,' Winry asked quite innocently.

Nelly leaned in closer to Winry and lowered her voice, 'did you even hear what I said. Don't act innocent either you knew exactly what I meant.'

'Of course I did, it was just too obvious what the answer was.'

Nelly snorted, 'I don't understand you tonight. Had you been sober you would have yelled at me, if you were drunk you would have played along and made a crude joke. I'm coming to the conclusion you just aren't Winry.'

Winry took another gulp of punch and knew she was well on the way to being drunk, 'I just didn't feel the need to do either this time. Sorry to be so boring.'

'I wasn't calling you boring Winry, just changed. Has something happened?'

Winry smiled apologetically, 'No I just felt the need to grow up I think. It has come as a bit of a shock to don't expect too much out of me tonight. You'll see, in a few months time I'll be settled in to my new me.'

'Well so far, I'm not too keen on her.'

Winry felt like she had been shot after Nelly had sighed those words and left her standing alone. But she was certain they would all get used to her after a little while. They couldn't all want the temperamental, selfish but predictable Winry back could they?

* * *

'What have you done to her?' Nelly snapped, standing right in front of Edward.

'Why does everyone expect it to be my fault?'

'It usually is Mr Elric. Have you drowned her in your usual misery maybe? Because if you look closely you'll see there is no spark left in that shell standing over by the booze.'

When Edward dared to look it was certain that "shell" was just the right word to use. He had been mistaken earlier in thinking he had seen something of his old Winry left inside that blonde being stood all alone. This was more than just a mood swing or a prank; he could see that now, especially if Nelly believed something to be wrong. Nearly two hours must have passed since they arrived and he hadn't been able to talk to Winry once. He pushed his way through the crowd to be by her side.

'Who made the punch?' he asked, trying anything to strike up conversation.

'The Wilkins I think. They usually make the punch while everyone else brings food.'

He took a swig, 'Wow, do you think they plan to get everyone so drunk they'll think the party was great?'

She shrugged her shoulders, 'I don't really know.'

'Perhaps if we both drunk we could find something to entertain us,' he whispered in a husky voice, looking at her from under his lids, challenging her embarrassment and temper.

'No, I don't like suffering from hangovers.'

Ed slammed his cup down with a scream of frustration and anguish, 'that is it! I have had enough of this blank attitude,' he yelled, grabbing hold of her arm, 'we are sorting this out now before anyone else blames me for making you this way.'

She had no choice but to go with him as he held her arm painfully tightly and dragged her from the party and toward the road that would lead them home. Without her coat she should have been frightfully cold but the adrenalin rush of being marched around flushed her red. When her sense finally kicked in she wrenched her arm from his grip and demanded to know what he was doing.

'What am I doing?' he asked, 'oh no this has nothing to do with me. You on the other hand have lost your marbles.'

'I don't understand what you mean.'

'That, exactly that! What has happened to you? Did someone steal your personality last night and replace it with this robot I see before me?'

'I…I don't…I haven't changed,' she argued, her voice beginning to show signs of flare.

This did not go undetected by Edward and he once again grabbed on to her, 'Since this is about as angry as you are going to get tonight you may as well come with me now.'

She struggled against him but he was far too strong for her. Winry didn't think he would take the change in her so damn personally, even if she had changed because of him. It was for the better though and why could none of them see this to be true. By the time they reached the house they had been marching at such a pace she was struggling to breath without gasping for breath. There had been no point in crying out for there was no one to hear to begin with but also, what exactly would she be crying out about?

'Wait there,' he instructed and left her to catch her breath in the warming living room. She did as she was told for at least she was to discover why he had dragged her all the way home. When he thumped his way back down the stairs she was aware he was holding something tightly in his hands. She kept her eyes there expectantly but was completely blown away when he parted his fingers and she could see what was inside.

At first she could see very little, but as she lifted it from his hands it became the most wonderful thing she had ever laid her eyes on. It was crudely put together and the engraving on it was now jagged and inelegant, but there was no doubting it was her bauble, the one she had inadvertently smashed. If he had put it together with alchemy it would have been in perfect condition, but its messy state meant he had put it together in the traditional way.

'The idea was I get you as angry as you could be then I would hand you that. Then forevermore whenever you got really mad you had that to remind you to calm down before you did something stupid,' he sighed, 'as it is I don't think you'll ever be angry again. What's got into you?'

She took a deep breath, 'I have decided to better myself, that's all, why do so many people have a problem with that?'

'Better yourself in what context Winry? Overnight you've gone from the girl I've known for years to a completely dull stranger.'

'All we ever used to do was fight,' Winry snapped, giving in to a perfectly justified temper, 'I could tell you were sick of coming here just to end up in a screaming match with me. That's why you hid away each time you came to visit. I have to change to end it all.'

He stared at her with his golden eyes for a second or two before scowling at the floor and running his hand through his lose hair. He turned away from her and flopped down in to the sofa before covering his eyes with one of his hands and freezing that way. She wasn't sure what to do with herself anymore so she sat down in the chair on the other side of the room and let him alone.

'Al said the other day he can't wait to have a wife and child,' he finally sighed, 'He's barely a teenager and he's thinking about starting his own family already.'

'Did you expect any less from him?' Winry asked, confused as to the timing of this little piece of information.

'No,' he laughed, 'I cant say I did. I've always known really, but when he said it the other day with such…such conviction, it awakened a realisation in me. I…I just can't explain it…look its not you that gets to me…it's me.'

Time seemed to slow down so dramatically the only sound that filtered in to her ear was the sound of her own heavy heartbeat. She was suddenly sat in the middle of a stereotypical scene and all it had taken was a few words. She felt her face flush up again but this time she had caved in to her real temper as she stood to her feet and let it all out.

'Oh no you damn well don't!' she bellowed.

'What?' he asked perplexed.

'You cannot take all the blame for this yourself, especially with no good reason. I said that it was all my fault and you will bloody well accept that it's all my fault and we can finally get along.'

He stood up as well and leant as close to her as he could, 'even if you take all the blame and change yourself you cannot change how I feel so no I will not just accept the difference in you.'

'So how exactly do you feel? What does your brother's desire to have a family one day have to do with you being a miserable piece of work every time you come home?'

'Because I can't feel that way!'

She stopped short, not finding anything to throw back at such an answer. She saw his eyes changed from an angry glare to a pale sadness he rarely let show. He turned away from her to stand by the window and look out upon the falling snow. He leaned his arm against the wall and his head against that and she could see his heavy breath on the glass.

'Al could very well be settled down in five or six years, such is his desire to have a family. No matter how much I travelled I was never alone while I had my brother. I'm not sure I could travel in the same way without him. The only other option is…'

'Settling down,' she finished for him.

'Whenever I come back, here you are. I could settle down…have a family…right here. I have, at least I think I have…you. Whenever I see you I see a family that I could have in an instant, but I can't take it. As much as I might want to have that home, I also want to keep moving, and I couldn't ask a family to travel with me like that.'

She walked toward him and leant her head on his back to hide her silent tears from him. She had tried so hard not to love him for the very reasons he knew she couldn't. He would always be a wanderer, even when that would involve him having nobody there to support him, to love him. To hear those words from him tore her apart inside.

'I have always waited Edward, and I was sure I could finally force myself to stop doing so. But how can I? Even when you wander, for months, years, you have me here. I'm not going to take that away from you.'

'I can't expect you to do that. Don't you want a family?'

She laughed, not out of joy but out of disbelief, 'you are my family, and I choose for it to be that way. How can you stand there and not accept that I will love you if I want to. I don't care if that's not your desire. If it can bring you some…some comfort…and just a moment of peace now and then…I will provide it.'

He turned around to face her and took her tear stained face in his hands, 'you are such a stubborn brat sometimes Winry.'

She smiled weakly, 'alchemy freak, I've got nothing on you.'

He suddenly pressed his lips against hers and she swore she heard fireworks ring in the New Year in her head. She had never been embraced with such strength and ferocity before, and certainly not with such an outpour of emotion. Her heart beat so hard in her chest and the butterflies in her stomach danced so violently she was sure she was collapse in his arms and never wake up. She drew all that emotion in to her memory and knew she would always have in there. The anticipation had made that moment as desirable as it had been. If she could only see him every six months, her heart would only grow and grow as it waited for his return. When she waved goodbye to the Elric brothers that time she knew she had a reason to wait that time, knowing he knew she would always be there. She had screamed at him to not leave it so long next time, and he told her he wouldn't fix that bauble again. Fighting, bickering, snapping at each other over the breakfast table…it kept both of them on their toes and the surrounding audience forever wondering what exactly occurred between Edward and Winry.


End file.
